Wire fabric.



H. RICHARDSON.

WIRE FABRIC.

APPLICATION nuzo 05c. 20. 1913.

m w 1 Mu l A G e D d e t H w a P PATENT a HENRY RICHARDSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WIRE FABRIC.

Application filed December 20, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY RICHARDSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVire Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wire fabrics, and has reference more particularly to wire fabrics of the kind at present extensively used to form the bottoms of beds, couches and like articles of furniture.

One type of bed and couch fabric now largely employed is characterized structurally by the presence of parallel longitudinal strands composed of interhooked bent wire units or links connected transversely at intervals by wire cross links. The i11terhooking of the links forming the longitudinal strands in this type of fabric creates a weakness at these points of connection, owing to the liability of the hooks to pull or straighten out under tension. This same weakness also inheres in fabrics wherein the end portions of the wire forming each link are connect-ed merely by interengaging hooks on said ends or by a hook on one end engaging a loop on the other end, since in all such cases there is present in the link at or intermediate its ends one or more hooks having a free or unsecured bent portion in the direct line of longitudinal strain, the strength of which to resist tensional strains is far below the breaking point of the wire itself.

The general object of my present invention is to provide a new and improved link wire fabric structure of a type heretofore originated by me and which is especially characterized by the fact that it employs two-ply links each formed from a single piece of wire in each longitudinal strand and may be made of considerably lighter gage of wire than was theretofore known in fabrics of that character. This object ll accomplish by a novel structure of link that, in common with the type above referred to, entirely obviates the presence anywhere in a fabric of the type described of unsecured ends of loops or hooks in a line of longitudinal strain. Furthermore, my improved fabric dispenses with the use of separate cross-links connecting adjacent longitudinal strands, and lends itself well to the employment of integral cross-arms which serve all.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec, d, MEN... Serial No. 80?,866.

the purposes of separate cross links and simplify and cheapen the construction.

Two practical embodiments of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- I Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a wire fabric for bed or couch bottoms embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view from the upper side of a portion of the same. -Fig. 3 is a perspective view from the under side of a portion of the same. Fig. t is a perspective view from the under side of a portion of one of the links, more particularly illustrating the manner of securing the free end portions of the wires forming the links at one end and one side edge of the fabric. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a slightly varied form of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, 5 and 6 designate the two portions of the bent wire forming each link or unit that unitedly comprise the two-ply body or tension member. These limbs 5 and 6 are integrally connected at one end of the link by a simple U-bend 7 lying in the plane of the body member. At the other end of the limb 5 is a terminal loop 8 conveniently formed by extending one end portion of the wire downwardly and thence upwardly to form said loop, the wire being thence extended across the body member as shown at 9, and then clenched beneath said body member as shown at 10 in Figs. 2 and 3.

At the corresponding end of the other limb 6 of the body member is an integral cross-arm 11, which consists of a direct rectangular extension of the limb 6 that, in the preferred form shown, lies laterally opposite the outer end of the loop 8 on the limb 5, and terminates at its free end in a loop 12, the free end of the latter loop being carried across and clenched to the cross-arm as shown at 13.

The links thus formed are assembled lengthwise by interconnecting them end-toend to form the longitudinal strands of the fabric. Preferably, and as herein shown, such interconnection is formed by carrying the U-bend 7 of one link through the terminal loop 8 of the next adjacent link and also interlockingly across the rectangular bend formed at the junction of the crossarm of the latter link with its body member. The terminal loops 12 of the crossarms are carried around the limbs 5 of the units in a laterally adjacent strand, affording a flexible connection of the longitudinal strands with each other throughout the length of the fabric.

At one longitudinal edge of the fabric, and also at one transverse edge where the fabric is connected to the usual helical springs, the cross-arms 11 are not required, and consequently are omitted. At these places the wire forming the cross-arm is cut off at a suitable distance from the junction with the body member, and the remaining portion of the wire is then preferably bent downwardly V and thence upwardly, forming a loop 1 4 (Fig. 4) that is a companion to the loop 8, and the terminal portion of this wire is then carried across the body member as shown at 15 (Fig. 1) and clenched to the latter as shown at 16 (Fig. 45) in order to tie the loop 14: to the body member with the same security as the loop 8. j

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 differs from that. previously described and shown in Figs l to 4: inclusive only in that the free end of the terminal loop 8, instead of being extended across both limbsof the body member, is extended across the limb 5 on which it is formed as shown at 9 and clenched beneath the latter as shown at 10. Ihe interlocking of the cross-arm 1'1 with the U-bend 7 of the next endwise adjacent link suflicies to hold the limbs of the unit against lateral spreading under transverse strain.

It is obvious that, as regards the interlocking engagement of the cross-arm with the closed end of anendwise adjacent unit, the cross-arm and the portion of the U- bend engaged thereby may either or both be offset to accommodate the interlocking engagement of said parts.

I claim 1. A wire link fabric, including a plurality of bent wire units each having a twoply body member the limbs of which are connected at one end, a vertical loop formed as an extension of one limb of the body member at the other end of the unit, the free end of the wire forming said loop. being extended crosswise above and thence beneath said body member and clenched to the latter, and a cross-arm formed as a direct lateral extension of the other limb of said body member; the units of each longitudinal strand being connected end to end, and the units of adjacent longitudinal strands being connected through said cross-arms.

2. A wire link fabric, including a plurality of links or units each "composed of a single length of wire bent to form a twop'ly body member having its two limbs in tegrally united at one end, a vertical loop at the other end of one limb having the free end of the wire forming the same extended crosswise above and thence beneath said body member and clenched to the latter, and a cross-arm formed as a direct lateral extension of the correspomling end of the other limb; said links being interconnected endwise to form the longitudinal strands of the fabric, and said strands being connected laterally through the cross-arms of the links.

3. A wire link fabric, including a plurality of links or units arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, each of said links being composed of a single length of wire bent to form a two-ply body member having its two limbs united at one end by an integral U-bend lying in the plane of said body member, a loop at the other end of one limb lying in a plane substantially vertical to the plane of the body member and having the free end of the wire forming the same extended across and clenched to both limbs of said body member, and a cross-arm formed as a direct extension of the corresponding end of the other limb and lying laterally opposite the outer end of said loop; the U-bend terminal of eachlink passing through the loop of an endwise adjacent link and also interlockingly engaging the cross-arm of the latter at its junction with the body member.

4. As an article of manufacture, a wire fabric link composed of a single length of wire bent to form a two-ply body member having its two limbs united at one end, a vertical loop at the other end of one limb having the free end of the wire forming the same extended crosswise above and thence beneath said body member and clenched to the latter, and a cross-arm formed as a direct lateral extension of the other limb.

5. As an article of manufacture, a wire fabric link composed of a single length of wire bent to form a two-ply body member having its two limbs joined at one end by an integral U-bend lying in the plane of said body member, a loop at the other end of one limb lying in a plane substantially vertical to the plane of the body member and having the free end of the wire forming the same extended across and clenched to both limbs of said body member, and a cross-arm formed as a direct extension of the corre sponding end of the other limb lying laterally opposite the outer end of said loop.

HENRY RICHARDSON.

lVitnesses SAMUEL N. POND, MARY M. Liarro.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 4!. 

